The assumption that growth is good comes as close to being a universally accepted truth as we live by. Yet recently we are beginning to question the "bigger is better" philosophy, and to see that growth may be counter-productive to most of our hopes, goals and aspirations.

A letter to HCN from someone who has observed the nesting and eating habits of golden eagles for several years around Laramie, Wyo.: "I'm not saying that eagles can't or don't kill sheep but the wool is not so far over my eyes that I can't see some mighty big discrepancies."

There are 53 million acres of federal lands which qualify as potential wilderness areas under the 1964 Wilderness Act. But so far, with only three years left for federal agencies to propose wilderness under the act, only 10.1 million acres have been set aside as wilderness.

If improvement of the environment is actually the high national priority that recent polls suggest, then we should expect to find a general willingness to share the cost. Regrettably, this is not the case.

Dean of Montana University School of Forestry Arnold Bolle's statement to the Interior Subcommittee about his report, which criticizes Bitterroot National Forest's overriding concern with timber production, its use of uneconomical systems of timber harvesting, and its general disregard for aesthetic and non-timber values.

Excerpts from Oversight Hearings on Management Practices on the Public Lands. "The forthcoming ... hearings offer a crucial opportunity for public scrutiny of the state of management and stewardship of our public lands, especially our national forests."

What happens when unplanned development takes place in an undeveloped environment? Do companies have a conscience when it comes to use of land? The photos displayed here tell a story -- not a pretty story.